Alef Aeronautics’ Flying Car Takes Off

For ages, people have been dreaming of flying cars, but these have only existed in fiction. That is, until recently. With the technology that we have now, there may be some chance to see this dream become a reality. Alef Aeronautics, a sustainable mobility tech company based in San Mateo, California, is among those that are trying to create a functional flying car to drive on the road and take off vertically.

Gearing up

Alef Aeronautics’ concept of a flying car started in 2015 when CEO Jim Dukhovny realized that it would take a team of tech geniuses to bring his idea to life. He has called in Dr. Constantine Kisly, Pavel Markin, and Oleg Petrov to discuss the premise. The rest, as they say, is history. It was a year after the first meeting when the first sub-scale prototype was built. Tim Draper, known to back up successful tech startups, became the pioneering investor of the company. He has since acted as a mentor of the team as well.

Fast-forward to 2019, and they finally had a full-size prototype of the flying car take off, following its “skeleton” prototype the previous year. The Alef Model Zero is currently being used for research and development. Based on their findings, they could make the necessary tweaks to the Alef Model A.

Last February, Alef Aeronautics graced the media with their electric flying car’s test drive and vertical takeoff in a city environment. The test was a success; Dukhovny shares that they “hope it will be a moment similar to the Wright Brothers’ Kitty Hawk video, proving to humanity that new transportation is possible.”

During the test run, Alef Model A was reported to show capability on driving on the streets with a driving range of 200 miles as well as vertical take-off and landing with a flight range of 110 miles. It can take off without needing the usual infrastructural requirement like a runway.

Soaring into future plans

With the success of the recent test run and over 3,200 pre-orders, Alef Aeronautics expects production and delivery of the Model A flying car to start this year at an expected price of $299,999. The company signed a manufacturing agreement with PUCARA Aero and MYC for aviation-grade parts last year. Both companies are experienced in manufacturing and assembling parts and components for aeronautical companies. They are also looking towards the future with the Alef Model Z, planned for a 2035 release window, which will have 200 driving miles and 400 flying miles. This future model is also expected to be capable of self-piloted flight.

Youtube: Flying cars make successful test flight in California

Photo Credit: The images used are owned by Alef Aeronautics and have been provided for press usage.
Sources: PR Newswire / Mike Brennan (MITechNews.com) / Environmental Protection Agency / PR Newswire